24 May, 1945

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 230 % Postmaster, N.Y.

24 May, 1945      0825

Leipzig, Germany

My dearest sweetheart –

Now please don’t ask me where I get all the stationery, dear. I do admit, though, that I’ve had quite a variety – and it will be interesting to me to see the different types of paper on which I’ve written to you. I suspect that the ugly, lined paper is still in the lead. But it makes no difference about the paper – does it, dear? The fact is I love you and it makes no difference to me at all where I write it.

Yesterday was a rather interesting day, darling. There’s a church in town – Catholic (rare in this part of Germany) and built in 1496. More interesting is the fact that John Sebastian Bach played the organ in this church and composed some of his great works. Anyway – someone arranged a concert for Army personnel and I went along. It was very relaxing. The music was all that of the Church.

After that I went to have a camera repaired. It’s one I picked up somewhere back in Germany – but there was something wrong with the frame. The lens is excellent – a 4.5 – and in good condition. It has all the gadgets that usually confuse me and I shall probably get much worse pictures with it than I have with my $4.50 camera which you merely have to click. Well – I got it fixed and now I’m going to try and have a leather case with strap made for it so I can sling it around my neck. If I get home – as most boys will, with my telescopic glasses hanging on one side of me, the camera on the other, radio in one hand and the Lord knows what else in the other – how in the world am I going to be able to rush up to you and give you the hugging and kissing that I aim to give when once I rest my hungry eyes on you, sweetheart? I really have problems.

To finish the day – we went to the movies in the early evening and saw “Molly and Me” with Fields and Wooley. No one was in the mood for such a picture and the sound track was out of synchronization – so we didn’t enjoy. We played Bridge afterwards. – the Colonel, the Chaplain, one of our Warrant Officers and I. The Chappie and I are partners very often and last nite we really trimmed them. The Colonel makes many psychic bids and does fairly well – but when he’s off the beam – they really go down. We bid and made 2 small slams – arriving at one by Convention and the other – not. The latter-method I find more satisfying – when it comes out all right.

I got mail from you, darling, 10 May, Florence B – same date – and Irv Fine. Irv repeated Verna’s invitation and I sure would love to accept – but – as the dummy in a recent Ventroloquist act we saw the other nite – kept saying, “What the hell!”

I smiled at your account of Stanley Berns etc. If he loves the girl, O.K. – but if he’s sucked in by the wealth – the more fool he! One doesn’t have to look far – because that Groper girl didn’t do so well herself. She married Ray Fine and he certainly didn’t love her. He was just one big playboy and I know she was unhappy. No, dear – money is something that doesn’t hold up with wear. I think love does – and I know that you and I have that and that’s why I’m happy. It’s the only way to start, too. I’ll be able to earn enough money to let us enjoy life – and isn’t that what we want, dear?

And there I’ll leave you for now, sweetheart. Sick-call must have started and I must go down. So long for awhile, darling, love to the folks – and

All my everlasting love –

Greg

* TIDBIT *

about Psychic Bridge Bids

Dorothy Rice Sims
Matriarch of Psychic Bidding

The Laws of Duplicate Bridge define a psychic call as “A deliberate and gross misstatement of honor strength or suit length.” The key word is “gross.” A psychic bid is an intentionally misleading call or bluff which departs from accepted partnership agreements or is otherwise designed to confuse the opponents. Usually, a psyche is made on a very weak hand in an effort to convince the opponents they have less combined strength than they really do.

Generally speaking, a player has psyched when his/her strength falls under 50 percent of partnership strength agreements, or the suit length is several cards less than expected. On rare occasion, though, a player purposely underbids his hand hoping the opponents will overestimate their values, or double him in a later round of bidding. Of course, since trust and confidence are cornerstones of partnership bidding, psychic bidding can be disruptive to both sides. For mainline Bridge bidders, the psychic bidder seems to throw caution into the wind, walking where angels fear to tread. Many players have bitter-sweet experiences with psyches, be it by an unscrupulous opponent, cunning partner, or self-inflicted from within.

Psyches are expressly allowed in contract bridge, with a few conditions. One, a player cannot use conventional psyches as part of his bidding system; his partner must be totally oblivious to the fact that a psyche has been made. Two, a player cannot psyche more than once in a blue moon. Excessive psyching is frowned upon in social bridge, and disallowed in tournament play. Not only do psyche bids have the tendency to irritate opponents, they can lead to unspoken bidding agreements between the psycher and his partner. For example, if you frequently open 1 Spade with only four spades, when your agreement with your partner is that you promise five, a regular partner will eventually recognize your tendencies, whereas different opponents never will. Consequently, a regular partner can adjust his bidding accordingly, but opponents will always incorrectly assume you hold five spades. Such understandings between you and a regular partner are unethical.

Frivolous psyches are especially bothersome and should never occur. These psychs are usually inspired by malicious mischief or a lack of interest in a game that is going poorly. They can disrupt a game by causing an abnormal result. Unsportsmanlike psychs are equally bad. It is totally against the spirit of the game to throw a psychic call at a contending pair toward the end of the game because you want to create some action or because you’re having a game so bad that one more poor result won’t make any difference. It may make no difference to you, but it could change the winner of the event.

Psychic bidding dates back to 1931 by Dorothy Rice Sims. She is widely credited with inventing the psychic bid, but probably initiated only the popular name for it. Bridge was in its heyday during this era, as psychic bidding swept the Bridge tournament circuit. All this was followed by millions of avid Bridge readers who followed the psychic pros in newspaper columns. To fuel the fire, in 1932 Dorothy published her work, titled “Psychic Bidding.” Even the legendary Ely Culbertson, who professed to be opposed to the psych, occasionally found its strategic use in tournament play.

For a comprehensive book on the psyche, read “The Art of Psychic Bidding,” by Julian Pottage and Peter Burrows.

23 May 1945

No letter today. Just this:

The following are photos taken and postcards collected
by Greg while in Leipzig in May.

Leipzig - "Modern German Transport"
May 1945


Leipzig - "Old War Memorial"
May 1945


Leipzig - "University"
May 1945


Leipzig - Opera House - Postcard
May 1945


Leipzig - Central Railway Station
"The station doesn't look like this now.
It was formerly the largest in Europe."
May 1945


Leipzig - Sights
Marketplace and Old City Hall  "Partly Kaput"
New City Hall  "Kaput"
University and Church of St. Paul  "Mostly Kaput"
Memorial to the Battle of the Nations  "Not Kaput"
May 1945


Leipzig - University and Church of St. Paul - Postcard
"Most of the University is kaput also."
May 1945


Leipzig - Opera House and High Rise - Postcard
"This section not wrecked and looks exactly as in the card.
Figures on top of the building to the left are
two little men with big bell between them.
They strike it on the half hour."
May 1945


Leipzig - Alexander Street
"But it could be Aachen, Koln, Bonn, etc.
There's one in every big city."
May 1945

* TIDBIT *

about Leipzig University's Church of St. Paul 

The Paulinerkirche was a church on the Augustusplatz in Leipzig, named after the "Pauliner", its original Dominican friars. It was built in 1231 as the Klosterkirche St. Pauli for the Dominican monastery in Leipzig. From the foundation of the University of Leipzig in 1409, it served as the university church. After the Protestant Reformation it was donated to the university and was inaugurated in 1545 by Martin Luther as the Universitätskirche St. Pauli (University Church of St Paul), later also called Unikirche.

Johann Sebastian Bach was director of music from 1723 to 1725. Felix Mendelssohn conducted his oratorio on the church's patron saint, Paulus, in the first performance in Leipzig on 16 March 1837. In 1907 Max Reger was appointed music director of the university.

By the end of WWII, 60 per cent of the University of Leipzig's buildings and 70 per cent of its books had been destroyed. But the church survived the war practically unscathed. In 1953 the University was renamed by the German Democratic Republic government and became Karl-Marx-University, Leipzig. On 4 April 1968 the Choir of the university performed Bach's St Matthew Passion, conducted by Hans-Joachim Rotzsch. On 30 May 1968, during the communist regime, and after a decision by the SED (East German Communist Party)-led city administration and the university administration, the church was dynamited to make way for a redevelopment of the university, carried out between 1973 and 1978. Protestors against the blasting operation were arrested.

After reunification in 1991, the old name was revived and once again it was the University of Leipzig. A plaque at the site of the former church was unveiled on 30 May 1993. An A-frame sculpture in the dimensions and at the location of the former facade at the Augustusplatz was a memorial. The Paulineraltar, the Gothic altar, was rescued and was temporarily installed at the Thomaskirche.

The new buildings at the University's main campus are inspired by the form and shape of the old church. The newly built heart of the university includes a room for common prayer and regular religious services situated exactly at the place of the former church. The first service in the new church was held on 6 December 2009.

University of Leipzig's Main Building on old church site, 2012.

22 May 1945

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 230 % Postmaster, N.Y.

22 May, 1945      0835

Leipzig, Germany

My darling fianceé –

I love you so – it’s difficult to write about anything else. You see, dear, although we’ve been engaged a long time now, you never seemed quite attainable with the war still on over here. Now things have changed and the realization that the chances of our getting married soon are so much better and nearer makes me very very happy. Somehow or other I can’t get worried about the Japanese angle of the war. We’re kicking them now and more power is getting there everyday. And I’m still here for awhile – with a leave coming up in the States and a great deal can happen before that leave is over with. I think that war will fold before Japan is ruined the way Germany was – because fanatics or not – there’s a responsible ruler at the head of the government and I don’t believe he’ll allow Japan to sink into the sea.

There I go discussing things way out of my scope, but it seems as if every individual alive today has his or her life irrevocably intertwined with world affairs and conditions – and we, darling, are no exception.

Well, yesterday pm was quiet and in the evening we heard there was a good movie at Corps. Recr. Both Corps Forward and Rear are here in Leipzig – that’s the 7th Corps, sweetheart – and for my money – the best Corps on the Western front – from Normandy to the end in Germany. We always had the toughest assignments, spearheading every big attack. But we had a swell General – Lightning Joe Collins – and he certainly kept our confidence high.

Anyway, dear, the picture turned out to be “Mr. Skeffinton” – it being the first decent picture we had been shown in months. I enjoyed it – not troubling to look for flaws. We got back here at 2145 and I read awhile and then listened to the radio. I’m using a new radio now. I still have my battery set – but with electricity available – I managed to get hold of a 12 tube set some time ago in Halle. But it was too big to lug around. The one I have now is portable size and German Navy equipment – the set being built for use in submarines. It plays beautifully. I’ll try to bring it home – but I’ll probably have to strap it to my back with all the junk I already have, plus my other portable radio.

Today it’s still cloudy – although warmer than the past couple of days. I may go in swimming this p.m. – having missed 2 days running. That’s no way to get into shape.

And that’s all for now, darling. By the way, censorship rules have been greatly relaxed – and if there’s something about the present or the past that you wondered about, ask me and I’ll be able to let you know, dear. Don’t ask me whether I love you darling, because you know that!!

So long for awhile, sweetheart, love to the folks – and

All my sincerest love

Greg

* TIDBIT *

about "Mr. Skeffington"


Poster for "Mr. Skeffington"

"Mr. Skeffington" made its debut in New York on 25 May, 1944, nearly a year before it was shown to Greg and the other men. The following plot summary came from Turner Classic Movie's web site.

In 1914, beautiful Fanny Trellis (Bette Davis) is courted by many men including Jim Conderley, Ed Morrison and Thatcher. One evening, while her suitors wait downstairs, Fanny's cousin, George Trellis, returns home after several years away. George learns that contrary to their extravagant lifestyle, Fanny and her brother Trippy (Richard Waring) have no money. Trippy, however, now has a job working on Wall Street for Jewish Job Skeffington (Claude Rains). Later that evening, Job calls unexpectedly for Trippy, who angrily refuses to see him. At George's instigation, he and Fanny speak to Job instead. Job has fired Trippy for embezzling and has come to ask him to repay the stolen money. He is stunned when Fanny explains their financial situation. The next day, Trippy threatens to commit suicide.

Fanny with her suitors

Determined to save her brother, Fanny sets her cap for Job and soon marries him, even though Job fully realizes that Fanny does not love him. Her ploy backfires, however, when an angry Trippy leaves for Europe, and that night, Fanny locks Job out of her room. Fanny's suitors are unfazed by her marriage and continue to pursue her. Job endures their presence because, although Fanny enjoys their attentions, she always sends them away. On the night of the Skeffingtons' first anniversary, they learn that Trippy has joined the Lafayette Esquadrille and that Fanny is pregnant. Although Job is delighted by the coming child, Fanny sees it as a sign that she is growing old and insists on leaving for California until the baby is born and she is once again beautiful.

Shortly after Fanny Junior (Marjorie Riordan) is born, the U.S. enters the war. When Trippy is killed, Fanny blames Job for his death, and Job finally realizes that Fanny will never love him. After the war ends, Job devotes himself to his daughter, while Fanny occupies herself with a series of lovers. During prohibition, Fanny attracts a bootlegger named MacMahon, who is determined to marry her. To convince her to divorce Job, he demonstrates that Job has had several mistresses during their marriage. Although Fanny's rejection of her husband can be seen as partly responsible for his behavior, Job agrees to a divorce. Not wanting to be bothered by a child, Fanny suggests that Job take custody of their daughter. Job is reluctant because of the difference in their religions and also because he plans to live in Europe, where the Fascists are coming to power. Fanny Junior's distress at losing her father, however, convinces Job to take her with him.

Several years later, a middle-aged Fanny becomes involved with the much younger Johnny Mitchell, and Fanny Junior returns to the U.S. from Berlin. After sailing in stormy weather with Johnny, Fanny falls seriously ill with diphtheria. She recovers, but the illness ages her greatly, and she begins to hallucinate, imagining that she sees Job everywhere. A psychiatrist tells her the hallucinations are a subconscious manifestation of a need to see her former husband because, now that she is fifty, her romantic life is over. Determined to prove him wrong, Fanny throws a dinner party for her old suitors, only to discover that they are all appalled by her aged appearance. Only Edward still seems smitten, but Fanny quickly realizes that he is only interested in her money.

Fanny as an older lady

When Fanny Junior later announces that she and Johnny are getting married and moving to Seattle, Fanny is left totally alone. The next morning, George tells Fanny that he has seen Job, now a broken man after his stay in a concentration camp. George begs Fanny to care for Job in return for his generous care of her, but she refuses, believing that her lack of beauty will drive Job away as it did all the others. When she realizes that Job is blind, however, she knows that here is one man who will always remember her as beautiful and welcomes him home.

Here is the trailer from Mr. Skeffington

21 May 1945

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 230 % Postmaster, N.Y.

21 May, 1945      0840

Leipzig, Germany

My dearest sweetheart –

It is now 1230. I got as far as the “My” and was called away. I was busy until lunch-time and I’ve just returned to my room. Before I go any farther, darling, I want to remind you that I love you so strongly that it hurts, dear, and knowing you love me too – enhances my feelings ten-fold. So, we’ll get married, darling, and live a happy life. That’s certainly putting everything on a simple basis, isn’t it. Oh, I know there’ll be more to it than that, but the fundamental thing is that we do love each other and can you think of a better way to start?

I enjoyed so much your letter of 11 May which I got yesterday – particularly about the plans various people are making for a wedding – our wedding. I get a little scared at the thought of a bunch of people etc – but there’s time enough to think of that. Barbara does sound cute. Gosh – she must have grown since I saw her last. She never was a beautiful child – but I’ll bet it’s hard finding a more lovable one. That’s the kind I want, darling. How about you?

I was sorry to read about Granny Br. You had mentioned her illness before and I had neglected to remark about it. I hope she is better – and when you see her next, send her my regards. And tell Granny Be. it’s perfectly all right if she doesn’t write; I understand. I just like to jot her a note from time to time. And that reminds me – I haven’t written Mother B. in some time. She was ill and I didn’t want her to feel that she had to be answering my letters. I’ll drop her a line one of these days soon.

I sure am proud of your Bridge-playing ability – and I hope you take it easy on me. I haven’t – we haven’t played in some while – what with the battalion spread out as it was. And even when we were playing, remember, dear, that I’m a novice. Guess I’ll have to start reading up on the stuff if the Alexanders are going to hold their own.

And boy – would I ever like to spend a week-end with you down on the Cape! Sweetheart – we’d just have to get married first, that’s all. It looks as if I won’t quite be able to make it this summer – although one never knows for sure. I’m willing of course – although every month I’m here gives me more overseas time, progresses the Jap war and gives me a respectable talking point once I get home and try to stay in the States. Gosh we’ll have busy days, darling – because don’t forget – I owe you something like 154,000 kisses – and that ain’t hay – and don’t think either – that you won’t get paid off, with interest. And that’s compounded interest, too. It’s going to be wonderful, sweetheart, getting back and being with you; and we’re going to make up – in full measure – for all we’ve missed because of our separation.

And now, dear, so long for awhile. Give my love to the folks – and

All my deepest love to you –

Greg

* TIDBIT *

about What Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz Said


Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz

In an article published in the TIME magazine issue on 21 May 1945, (Vol. XLV, No. 21), titled "World Battlefronts, THE WAR: No. 1 Priority", Chester Nimitz set the tone for what was to come in the war with Japan. Here is the article:

Cover of TIME magazine, 21 May 1945

"The Japs are going to get plenty," said Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, in a press interview last week. "The tempo of the air war will be stepped up very, very much. They will be hit by carrier as well as land-based aircraft. We will give them everything we've got."

This week the Jap radio underscored the Admiral's words by announcing that a tremendous force of 900 carrier planes was attacking airfields and other installations on Kyushu, Shikoku and Honshu, making 14 strikes between dawn and 2 p.m. Right along with it, Japan was catching the heaviest punches ever thrown by the B-29 Superforts.

Japan was now the No.1 priority in the Allied war effort, and she was bitterly tasting what that meant even before the full overwhelming weight of the U.S. and Britain could be marshaled against her.

Worse than Germany. Lieutenant General Barney Giles, new Army Air Force commander in the Pacific, predicted more bombs for Japan's 148,000 square miles than had fallen on Germany's 215,000.

In England, Jimmy Doolittle gave up his command of the U.S. Eighth Air Force, and confidently forecast the happy day when as many as 2,000 U.S. planes would hit Japan in a single attack. Doolittle's big air force had wound up its war with 2,400 Fortresses and Liberators (the new "mediums") plus a considerable number of others in repair depots and reserve pools, and 1,200 fighters. Asked just what he expected to do in the Pacific, he answered, "I wish I knew." But it would be surprising if Bomber Doolittle and his crack operations officer, Major General Orvil Anderson, did not have plenty to do there.

The main, time-consuming Allied problem in the Pacific is building up bases and supply. It takes three cargo ships to do in the Pacific what one could do in the Atlantic. Air forces and service troops are being moved first.

Within three months there should be enough bases to accommodate all the air units that can be sent from Europe. Okinawa, four times the size of Guam, promises to be a fine base, even better than preliminary U.S. appraisals indicated. Within six months the Philippines should be in shape to take all the ground forces which can be redeployed in that time for the invasion of the Jap heartland.

How Much Can the Japs Take? By the time the invasion is ready, Allied air power should have smashed Japan's industry and transport, and she should be thoroughly shriveled by combined air and naval blockade. She might not be able or willing to keep on fighting. When a reporter asked Admiral Nimitz last week whether he believed that invasion would, in the end, be necessary, Nimitz replied: "I don't know. I don't know how much the Japs can take. They have seen what has happened in Europe, the wreckage of Germany. They know what is in store for them. ... All I do know is that it is necessary to go through with the planning of the invasion of Japan."

20 May 1945

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 230 % Postmaster, N.Y.

20 May, 1945      0810

Leipzig, Germany

Wilma, darling –

After I finish writing this I’m leaving for Weimar, which I never quite got to visit so far. Strictly speaking, I’m not going there to visit – but to buy some clothes at the officers’ Px there. It’s about 100 km (60 miles) from here. What in the world I want to but clothes for, I don’t know, but hell, I’ve got to be dressed up when I get back to see you, dear. I got an E.T.O. jacket when I was in Brussels, and I need a pair of trousers to match. We dress up more now – on Corps orders – to impress the Germans a bit, I guess. They’ve never been able to understand how officers and E.M. wear the same clothes all the time. It was definitely not so in their Army – or any other Army I guess. The Parisians were shocked too, to find officers dressed the way we were when we were on pass. It was combat clothes, of course, but they said the German officers made us look shabby by comparison. But what the heck – we won – and that’s what counts they way I see it.

Speaking of Paris – reminds me of your reference to my condition, darling, in the letter of 9 May which I got yesterday p.m. The only picture I can think of with me in it is the one at the sidewalk café. In answer to one question – yes – I had had a recent haircut and that’s the way the Army usually dishes them out. It all depends on the mood of our barber. But I hadn’t lost 10 lbs, darling – although I was plenty tired.

I enjoyed your letter, dear, and I wasn’t surprised to read that Boston had celebrated very much. Yes – I am anxious to get going, but my letters of the past week or so have certainly made that clear to you, I suspect. You bet it’s a good thing I wasn’t in New York trying to call you. Boy – I’d have been mad trying to get you while you were chatting on the phone – although I’d like to be mad right now. If that happens, sweetheart, don’t worry I’ll have your call cut off, you know – I’ve saved one dollar in U.S. money – just for that call – although more than likely all we’d have time for is to get down a couple of telegrams. Boy! Am I getting ahead of myself!

Say, I’m all mixed up about those people in Moscow. Apparently the family thinks I know one from the other. I don’t – but it’s nice of you to trouble yourself. Off hand I don’t believe any of our mail is allowed to go in that direction and I’m pretty certain there’s no mechanism set up for it, but I’ll speak with our Sgt.

And I’m sorry about Mother’s Day, dear. I know you’ve been busy and I didn’t want to bother you. I thought the easiest way was to have Eleanor order some flowers and let it go at that – and I did the same for the folk’s anniversary. I guess it’s too late now. And that reminds me, darling, I once asked you to remind me of anniversary and other days connected with your folks. You won’t forget, will you? I want to be a part of anything connected with them and right now I have to depend entirely on you. Once I’m back – I can give you more close support. I’m tired too of this long distance stuff. I’m kind of hoping for September at the latest – What was that about a Fall wedding?

And it’s so sweet of you to try to figure out my case. It’s difficult – and I can’t even do it from here. As I wrote – I have 67 points. I may get more; it seems we haven’t got credit for the Air offensive of Great Britain – we were attached to the 8th Air Force; also – we should get another star for the Battle of the Bulge. But all that doesn’t mean much. It’s the breaks that count. All I know is that I love you more strongly each day and want to get home, marry you and stay home – in or out of the Army. I don’t give a damn – as long as we’re married. It will come through – just as everything else has – and when it does – we’ll be ever so happy, darling. All for now – must be off to see the site of the Republic – at Weimar. Love to the folks – and

All my love is yours,

Greg

* TIDBIT *

about the Weimar Republic and the City of Weimar

The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the federal republic and parliamentary representative democracy established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government. It was named after Weimar, the city where the constitutional assembly took place. Its official name was German Realm (Deutsches Reich), which is often mistranslated into English as German Empire, or rendered by the partial translation German Reich.

Following World War I, the republic emerged from the German Revolution in November 1918. In 1919, a national assembly convened in Weimar, where a new constitution for the German Reich was written, then adopted on 11 August of that same year. The ensuing period of liberal democracy lapsed in the early 1930s, leading to the ascent of the nascent Nazi Party and Adolf Hitler in 1933. The legal measures taken by the Nazi government in February and March 1933, commonly known as Gleichschaltung ("coordination") meant that the government could legislate contrary to the constitution. The republic nominally continued to exist until 1945, as the constitution was never formally repealed. However, the measures taken by the Nazis in the early part of their rule rendered the constitution irrelevant. Thus, 1933 is usually seen as the end of the Weimar Republic and the beginning of Hitler's Third Reich.

The cultural heritage of the city of Weimar is vast. Besides giving its name to the Weimar Republic period in German politics, the city was also the focal point of the German Enlightenment and home of the leading characters of the literary genre of Weimar Classicism, the writers Goethe and Schiller. The city was also the birthplace of the Bauhaus movement, founded in 1919 by Walter Gropius, with artists Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Oskar Schlemmer, and Lyonel Feininger teaching in Weimar's Bauhaus School.

In 1937, the Nazis constructed the Buchenwald concentration camp, only eight kilometres from Weimar's city centre. The slogan Jedem das Seine (literally "to each his own", but figuratively "everyone gets what he deserves") was placed over the camp's main entrance gate. Between July 1938 and April 1945, some 240,000 people were incarcerated in the camp by the Nazi regime, including 168 Western Allied POWs. The number of deaths at Buchenwald is estimated at 56,545. The Buchenwald concentration camp provided slave labour for local industry (arms industry of Wilhelm-Gustloff-Werk).

The Allied ground advance into Germany reached Weimar in April 1945, and the city surrendered to the US 80th Infantry Division on April 12, 1945. The city ended up in the Soviet zone of occupation, however, so US troops were soon replaced with Russian forces. From 1945 to 1950, the Soviet Union used the occupied Buchenwald concentration camp to imprison defeated Nazis and other Germans. The camp slogan remained Jedem das Seine. On 6 January 1950, the Soviets handed over Buchenwald to the East German Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Weimar was part of the German Democratic Republic (DDR, East Germany) from 1949 to 1990. On 2 September 2004, a fire broke out at the Duchess Anna Amalia Library. The library contained a 13,000-volume collection including Goethe's masterpiece Faust, in addition to a music collection of the Duchess. An authentic Lutheran Bible from 1534 was saved from the fire. The damage stretched into the millions of dollars. The number of books in this historic library exceeded 1,000,000, of which 40,000 to 50,000 were destroyed past recovery.

19 May 1945

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 230 % Postmaster, N.Y.

19 May, 1945      0810

Leipzig, Germany

My dearest sweetheart –

It seems to me that all I did yesterday was to dash off a V-mail to you and let it go at that – for which I ought to be spanked. Actually – I didn’t get back here until quite late and I was a bit tired from pounding around in the jeep all day. They do have some swell roads over here, though, particularly the Reichsautobahn – which are super-highways in every sense of the word. They connect all Germany and never run through cities or towns. Also – there are no billboards, roadside stands or gas stations.

Well – anyway – it wasn’t until about 2000 that I was free and then someone suggested a swim. Of course – I was talked into it – and there you are, dear. The fact is – I’m trying to get into shape – and swimming is as good a way as any to get the muscles working and the wind developed. The funny thing is that every one is ‘soft’ – despite the fact that we’ve just come thru a war. Back in Normandy – we all dug trenches – but as we got into Germany and took over houses, we got lazy – and careless.

Mail has been rather punk – for no reason that I’m able to figure out. But I did get one – no three – swell letters from you this week – and they carried me over very well. I did get a bit disgruntled when I read about Dr. Diamond. It just makes you – and I’m not the only one over here who feels this way – a bit envious when you hear of this fellow or that back at home doing a pile of work, research etc – while you’re over here wasting time and slowly but surely becoming an also-ran. But I have said that what I wanted more than anything else was to last the war out without getting hit by something – and the Lord saw to that – so I’m going to be thankful for that and not complain about anything else. You may or may not know it, dear, the MC’s took quite a beating.

The other part of your letter – the one in which you mentioned Lou Diamond – was really in the groove – sweetheart – and the sort of stuff I really eat up – I mean the future and Salem and people visiting us and the Caplans telling you that you really beam when you discuss us. That’s what I like to read, darling, because it does something to me inside, too. And when I read a letter like that from you dear, it makes me realize how much I really love you – and I like to sit back then and just dream. You may have trouble with me, you know, dear – because I’ve become quite a dreamer. I’m likely to get a call some evening – sit back and dream I’ve made it – and not even leave the house. Oh yes – you’ll really have to watch me. Besides all that, darling, I’m very good at quick passes.

No news yet of any import as to the future. We’ll go back to the States – there’s no doubt about that. The unit may or may not be broken up. From there on – no one knows – but I’m betting I’ll get a good crack at the States – and if fate is kind – maybe I’ll stay.

Well – darling – that’s all for now. Some more work – and fraternization or no – our big problem now is V.D.

Love to the folks, sweetheart, and

All my everlasting love,

Greg

18 May 1945

V-MAIL

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 230 % Postmaster, N.Y.

18 May, 1945      0820

Leipzig, Germany

Dearest sweetheart –

Now we can say where we are – and it’s the old story of the Army taking a little time to make up its mind. I’m in a hurry this morning, darling, although irrelevant or not – this is as good a place as any to tell you I love you and only you. Oh yes. I’m in a hurry to get started for Halle – and a place just north of it – Kothen – to do some more physicals. If I grab that bunch today – I’ll have only a handful more to do. It’s quite a job – doing a battalion.

I got a swell letter yesterday of the 6th of May – and the events of the next two days were still not evident to you when you wrote the letter. Here – we had an inkling. But inkling or no – I love you very very hard – and as I see it from here – that’s the important thing – particularly since I suspect you love me too. Time to go, dear. Love to the folks – and all my deepest andsincerest love is yours –

Greg